biostudies-literatureUnknown12(1)Zhang ZDefect engineering in semiconductor heterojunctions offers a promising route for enhancing the selectivity of photocatalytic CO₂ conversion. In this work, a ZnS/gel-derived TiO₂ photocatalyst featuring sulfur vacancies introduced via hydrazine hydrate (N₂H₄) treatment is developed. XRD, HRTEM, and XPS analyses confirm the formation of a crystalline heterointerface and a defect-rich ZnS surface, enabling effective interfacial electronic modulation. The optimized ZnS/gel-derived TiO₂-0.48 composite achieves CH₄ and CO yields of 6.76 and 14.47 μmol·g^-1·h^-1, respectively, with a CH₄ selectivity of 31.8% and an electron selectivity of 65.1%, clearly outperforming pristine TiO₂ and the cGels (Basel, Switzerland)39https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12840932biostudies-literatureHydrazine-Induced Sulfur Vacancies Promote Interfacial Charge Redistribution in ZnS/Gel-Derived TiO₂ for Enhanced CO₂ Activation and Methanation.PMC12840932Yan JHu DZhang ZLiu SMeng YGao FfalseHydrazine-Induced Sulfur Vacancies Promote Interfacial Charge Redistribution in ZnS/Gel-Derived TiO₂ for Enhanced CO₂ Activation and Methanation.Defect engineering in semiconductor heterojunctions offers a promising route for enhancing the selectivity of photocatalytic CO₂ conversion. In this work, a ZnS/gel-derived TiO₂ photocatalyst featuring sulfur vacancies introduced via hydrazine hydrate (N₂H₄) treatment is developed. XRD, HRTEM, and XPS analyses confirm the formation of a crystalline heterointerface and a defect-rich ZnS surface, enabling effective interfacial electronic modulation. The optimized ZnS/gel-derived TiO₂-0.48 composite achieves CH₄ and CO yields of 6.76 and 14.47 μmol·g^-1·h^-1, respectively, with a CH₄ selectivity of 31.8% and an electron selectivity of 65.1%, clearly outperforming pristine TiO₂ and the c2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Dec2026-06-14T03:25:43.857Z2026-06-14T03:15:53.899ZS-EPMC128409324159006410.3390/gels12010039